Spring draft attachment



(No Model.)

H. BARBER; STRING DRAFT ATTACHMENT. y No. 493,469. Patentedmar. 14.1893.

. UNITED STATES HIRAM BARBER, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPRING DRAFT ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 493,469, dated March14, 1893. Application filed September 20, 1890. Serial No. 365,644. (Nomodel.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HIRAM BARBER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Draft Attachmentsfor Use on Wagons, &c., of which the following is a specification.

Of the drawings herewith submitted Figure l, is a plan view of my springdraft attachment showing the same in position upon the upper surface ofthe pole of a wagon. Fig. 2, is a sectional View of my invention on thedotted line 2-2. Fig. 3, is a sectional View of my invention on thedotted line 3-3. Fig. 4, is a view in perspective of the drawplate P, inmy spring draft attachment.

The object and purpose of my invention are to provide a cheap andcompact yielding connection between the draft animal and the fixed pointof attachment to the Wagon or other vehicle. Such yielding connection iscalculated to relieve the shoulder of the draft animal from the blow orconcusion to which it is otherwise subjected when the wagon or othervehicle strikes an obstruction.

It will be observedthat in the construction of the machine or deviceherein described I make use of the draw-plate P, the draw-bar B, thehammer-strap H, the rods R-R, the coil-springs S-S, and the bolts T, K,and X. The draw-plate P, is provided upon the upper surface of the rearend thereof with the recess U, and the two corresponding open chambersC-C, and also with the central longitudinal slot O. The recess U, isdesigned for the reception and movement therein of the shaft A, of thedraw-bar B. The draw-bar B, is provided at the front and rear endsthereof with the laterally projecting arms or plates vrt-11%, and nV-fm.The interior ends of the arms or plates are made integral with the shaftA, at the point of contact therewith. The interior faces of the sides ofsaid arms or plates are placed in oppositiomon a line parallel with eachother and at right angles to the line of the corresponding sides of theshaft A. The rear end of the draw-bar B, is also provided with thebracket V. The upper edge of the forward end of the plate Q, is madeintegral with the lower edge of the arms or plates mf-rn', and also withthe lower surface of the shaft A, at the extreme rear end thereof. Theoutward ends of the plates m-m are supported by the braces bb, the inneredges of which braces b-b, are made integral with the plates m-m, andthe plate Q, at the point of contact. The arms or plates 'nr-m, andrrd-rn', are provided with corre sponding apertures for the passage ofthe stem of the rods RR. The chambers C C are open at the sides and topto permit the springs to be readily inserted, and their rear walls areperforated similarly to the plates m m for the passage of the stems ofthe rods R R before mentioned. The lugs Z-Z, situated upon the forwardupper edge of the side walls w-w, of the recess U, are also perforatedto permit of the attachment thereto of the rear end of the hammer-strapH. The rear end of the plate Q, is perforated so as to permit thepassage of the stem of the bolt T, by means of which bolt T, the bracketV, is rigidly attached to the outer surface of the pole or other fixedpart of the wagon. The forward end of the shaft A, is also perforated soas to permit the passage of the stem of the bolt K, by which bolt K, theforward end of the shaftA, is held rigidly in position the stem of thebolt K, passing through the forward end of the shaft A, and also throughthe forward end of the slot O, and thence downward into the pole orother fixed part of the vehicle. The evener E, is held in position bythe bolt X, the hammer-strap H, and the forward end of thc drawplate P,which is provided with the aperture a, for the passage of the stem ofthe bolt X. When therefore the several parts of my spring draftattachment are placed in position and forward pressure applied to theevener E, the rear walls of the chambers C-C, of the drawplate P, aredrawn forward' against the rear ends of the coil springs S-S. The rodsR-R, upon which the springs S-S, are placed are held in position by thearms m-m, and mm, and the draw-plate P, moves forward with the evener E,according to the degree of compressibility of the springs S-S. The

bolt K, moving in the slot O, oders no resistance to the forwardmovement of the drawplate P. In this movement of the plate P, the rearsection of the hammer-strap H, may be said to advance over the forwardend of the shaft A, of the draw-bar B, and also over the IOC head of thebolt K, while the rear section of the shaft A, of the bar B, maybe saidto pass out of the recess U, in the opposite direction. And thus ayielding connection is secured hetweeen the draft animal and the fixedpoint of attachment to the Wagon or other vehicle.

By forming the chambers C C with open tops as well as ends, the drawplate may be cast in a two part mold without the use of a core, whichmaterially lessens the cost of construction, while the open tops permitof the lnore convenient adjustment of the springs than heretofore.

Having thus fully explained the method of construction and the mode ofoperation and the object and purpose of my spring draft attachmentherein described, what I claim as novel and as of my invention, forwhich I seek Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. In a sprin g draft attachment for vehicles, the draw-plate havingopen chambers at its rear end, and provided with a longitudinal slot anda bolt aperture at its front, in combination with the intermediatedraw-bar and the lateral longitudinal stems and their surroundingsprings, substantially as specified.

2. In a spring draft attachment for vehicles, the combination of a drawplate havingabolt aperture at its forward end, chambers at each side,open at their forward ends and tops and an intermediate recess at itsrear end,adraw bar extending longitudinally over the draw plate to therear thereof, through said recess, and having lateral plates atits frontand rear ends, the springs having their rear ends located in the sidechambers of the draw plate and bearing against the forward lateral armsof the draw bar, the draw-bar being provided with apertures by which itmay be bolted to a wagon, and the draw plates with a longitudinal slotthrough which the forward bolt may be passed to permit longitudinal playthereon, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination in a draft equalizer of the draw plate P having abolt aperture in its forward end, lateral chambers and a vertical spaceat its rear end, the draw bar B extending through the said central spaceto the rear thereof, and provided with lateral plates m m at itsrespective ends; the hammer strap H pivoted between the lugs Z l of thedraw-bar and having a bolt aperture at its forward end, the bolt Xconnecting the hammer strap and draw bar, the rods R R extending throughthe lateral plates m fm and the coiled springs S S surrounding 'saidrods and bearing against the plates m and the rear endsI of the chambersC C, and the bolts 'l and Kby which the device is attached to the poleof a wagon, the latter passing through a longitudinal slot in the drawbar to permit the draw bar to play back and forth longitudinally,substantially as specified.

HIRAM BARBER.

Witnesses:

CHESTER H. GRovER, SHERMAN BARBER.

